Anti-rheumatic Drug Use and Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Anti-rheumatic Drug Use and Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Retrospective, Case-control Study

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have an underlying immune deficiency and typically treated with immunosuppressive drugs, which may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been found to possess antiviral activity against COVID-19. Thus, the aim of this study to investigate the ability of HCQ to reduce the risk of COVID-19 among RA patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Data of all definite cases of RA were collected and reviewed from complete medical records of patients by a team that included 2 trained physicians using a pretested data collection form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• The exclusion criteria were included incomplete medical records or those with difficulty to communicate with the patients.
• Patients with acute lethal organ injury (e.g., acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, acute pulmonary embolism, or acute stroke)
• Patients with decompensated or end stage chronic organ dysfunction (e.g., decompensated cirrhosis, decompensated chronic renal insufficiency, or severe congestive heart failure), diabetes mellitus, data of pregnant females, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (aids), and leukemia or other malignancies.